Theology and the Social Teachings of the Church December 12, 2014

Man as Imago Dei: Towards an Alternative Christmas

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female
he created them” (Gen 1:27)1

In what could only be an act of unconditional love, God created humankind as the beings
which would take care and be the steward of all his creations. The Book of Genesis tells the story
of Creation— how God created the day, the night, creatures of the sea and creatures of land and
air by willing it so. But, men and women are created in the image of God— Imago Dei. From the
book of Genesis, it is easy to discover the purpose and standing of mankind in the hierarchy of
creation. However, we must be careful in interpreting it such that we shall subdue the creatures
of creation and abuse them to our will.

On the contrary, the Book of Genesis tells us that God created man and woman in His
image to act in His stead as stewards over the rest of His creations, settling humankind's place on
Earth as that not of subjugators but as caretakers. In his endless love for man he granted us the
gift of free will, of knowledge. In being made in the image of God – Imago Dei – we are
suffused with the readiness to love and to accept, just as God does. We are born with the capacity
for God.2 Indeed, we see ourselves as one with all of creation and at the same time, we are tasked
with the care of it.

Therefore, being in His image, man is beyond all the other creatures God has made, as he
possesses a body, a spirit and a soul. Being Imago Dei, man is capable of knowledge and free
will. He is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and
love that no other creature can give in his stead.3

1 Genesis 1: 27 (KJV).
2 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 109.
3 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 108 (citing Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 357).
 However, the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God’s commandment to
not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and wisdom. As a consequence of that act of sin
of our forefathers, there is an alienation, that is, the separation of man not only from God but also
from himself, from other men and from the world around him. 4 But our God is merciful as ‘He
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall
not perish, but have everlasting life.’ 5 By means of Christ, we share in the nature of God. And in
Christ, God reconciled man to Himself.6

Knowing all these, the question we reflect upon is the manner by which we, as Imago
Dei, relate with one another. If on the larger scale creation we are stewards of God, how then
must we be in the community of our fellow men and women? How must we be in
communication with our brothers and sisters created in His image and likeness? In being part of
the Church, what is the significance of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist on the human person
as Imago Dei?

Imago Dei, translated as the image of God, is a special form of being that characterizes
humans from all of God’s creation. In his image and likeness, God created man and made him
the ruler of all of His creation. As such, every person in the world can be considered an image of
God. If this was the case, then why do we live in such a world where there is inequality between
the images, where they maltreat each other or choose to not support them? How can we restore
the image and likeness that God attributed to Adam and Eve so that we may live in a world
where we treat each other fairly?

Sacraments may appear as high sounding theology at first for it is not easily
understandable unless one personally experiences an event wherein these Sacraments play a vital
role. The Sacraments of Christian initiation: baptism, confirmation and the Holy Eucharist,
establishes the foundations of Christian life.7 Baptism marks man as a child of light 8 and

4 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 116.

5 John 3:16 (KJV).
6 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 121 (citing John Paul II, Apostolic
Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 10: AAS 77 (1965), 205).
7 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 251.
8 Ephesians 5:8 (KJV).
transforms him as a new creature.9 In the Sacrament of Baptism, we are saved from the original
sin brought on by the acts of Adam and Eve, and we are allowed to begin life anew free of
original sin. This does not change the fact that man, however, is born into a world of sin and is
prone to commit sin. This is why it is important to understand man's nature and the need of the
other sacraments of Christian faith, what they mean for mankind and for the relationship
between God and man.

“I grew up as a faithful Christian due to our family’s

upbringing. Even with the virtues and values bestowed upon me, I
can’t prevent myself from causing sin. Cheating, lying, violence,
disobedience, these are just part of the sins that we consider as part of
everyday life. Even if I try hard to convince myself that these are
necessary sins to survive in this world, they are still sins that I
committed.

Sin became part of my routine life that I came to the point

where I never really cared whether they are sins or not. When realizing
my current state, I find it hard to attend the Holy Mass every Sunday
when my parents invite me. Excuses such as school work and meetings
are just covers for my embarrassment to face God in such a sinful
state. A question always rings in my head that “How can I just listen to
the Word of the Lord and expect to live it if I’m filled with Sin?” As
such, I find it hard to accept the routine of going to Mass.” - Member
A

Men, after the commission of the original sin, bear from birth, sin, inherited from the first
parents.10 As a consequence, man’s very nature was affected. So much so, that even after
baptism, man retains his sinful nature and therefore, should reconcile himself with God.

9 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV).

10 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 116 (citing John Paul II, Apostolic
Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 2: AAS 77 (1985), 188; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church,
1849).
 “For the longest time I had regarded my Faith in such simple
terms as to make convenient excuses for my sinful lifestyle. Baptism,
for one, I had regarded as a license to commit sinful acts and forget my
connection with God. Just because I was baptized, I thought I was
already the recipient of God’s unending mercy and love. That even if I
commit sin or neglect to go to Mass, God will not cease to love me –
that the thought of God ever hating is an idea even in conflict with the
basic teachings of the Church. This I realize now, was an abuse of
God’s love, an attempt to put God in a box and be subject to my own
approximations and calculations. I made my own membership in the
Church as an excuse to break the very bond that connects me to this
great Family, for my own selfish reasons and means.” - Member B

But God is merciful and He provided us with the Sacraments of Penance and
Confirmation for our spiritual journey after baptism. The Sacrament of Confirmation confirms
and strengthens this baptismal grace.11 And, since men the Sacrament of Penance— a Healing
Sacrament, was instituted by Christ because the new life that He gives us in the sacraments of
Christian initiation can be weakened and even lost because of sin.12

“I realized my foolishness when I related my experience to a

close friend. She explained to me that life would only be more difficult
if I don’t have someone to depend on. She meant that I can’t just
depend on the people around me since there will be times that
problems cannot be solved with friends and family alone, so there is
God. I realized that she was right since I have experienced a lot of
situations where family and friends are not enough on my ordeals. I
explained to her my circumstance and she referred me to the
confessional chamber of our Church. She explained that in there, I can
relate my deepest problems and be absolved. I tried out the confession
11 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 266.
12 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 295.
 and to my surprise, I feel that I was forgiven for all of my sins, even
for just a moment. This feeling I had was what enabled me to go to
mass without the feeling of embarrassment but with the feeling of
satisfaction, or rather completeness, after receiving the Holy
Eucharist.” - Member A

But it is the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that patterns Man being Imago Dei. The
Holy Eucharist, where we partake of the blood and body of Christ, is the source and summit of
all Christian life.13 It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is
consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.14

By the act of partaking in His Body and Blood, offered as food and drink, we are
celebrating the glory of Christ's passion, his death, and his resurrection. Through this sacrament,
Christ unites us to Himself and to one another, 15 which is essential for man, being Imago Dei, is
a social creature. The human being is a personal being created by God to be in relationship with
him; man finds life and self-expression only in relationship, and tends naturally to God.16

By his very nature, man is not a solitary being, but a social being, and unless he relates
himself to others he can neither live nor develop his potential. 17 He finds this fulfillment by
relating to his fellow men, who are reflections of God as beings created in Imago Dei. By the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, man finds himself closer to his life goal and personal
fulfillment of seeking and maintaining a relationship with God as by partaking of His Body and
Blood, not only does the Church remember Christ’s sacrifice but also unites their sacrifices in
Him.18

13 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 274.

14 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 271.
15 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 287.
16 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 109 (citing John Paul II, Encyclical
Letter Evangelium Vitae, 35: AAS 87 (1995), 440-441; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1721).
17 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 110 (citing Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 12: AAS 58 (1966), 1034).
18 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 281.
 “I once attended a church service wherein the audience was
asked to name what the specific brand, to be flashed on the screen, is
known for. The word ‘Colgate’ flashed. The audience, without a
breath, answered ‘toothpaste’. Next is the word ‘Starbucks’ and every
coffee nut in the room answered ‘coffee’. After, the word ‘Apple’ was
flashed. The room resounded with the word ‘computers’. But when the
word ‘Christians’ appeared, all I can hear was inaudible mumblings of
lots of different words. It was like a bee colony back then, with
everyone buzzing a different word. That moment, consciousness struck
me. ‘What really are we Christians known for?’ I myself could not
answer, and I felt bad.

This is not to say that Christianity is merely a ‘brand’ as

suggested by the analogy, but sadly, it is actually just a ‘brand’ without
us Christians giving a deeper meaning to it. Many of us Christians
have lived a life unbecoming of one, tragically deviated from the
Image of God on which we were likened as creations. I myself have
wallowed into a pool of sin all my life, committing every act without
restraint or hesitation. I thought of lustful thoughts, cursed at people,
and did all of the other sins you and I commit every day. I told myself
‘ah, this is perfectly normal. I’m a human anyway and I am not unless
I sin.’ But I realized, it doesn’t have to be that way. We were given
free will by God - not to disobey Him - but rather obey Him freely
with all our hearts and minds.

But how do we put ourselves back on track? How do we

embody Christ in ourselves and employ His teachings in our daily
lives? The answer is simple: through salvation. It means accepting that
Christ loves us so much that He gave His only son to pay for our sins –
sins which must be paid with the price of the death of each and every
sinner that we are, but was instead paid for by Jesus Christ’s death.
 After salvation comes obedience, which is the necessary fruit of the
former. God has given us tasks for us to do after He has descended
back into heaven. One of these is the Holy Eucharist. It is not simply a
ritual, but an ordinance for us to follow until He comes again, 19 and as
an outward expression of our faith and obedience to Him, in
remembrance of Him.20 Surely it alone will not direct us back to the
right path, but it’s a start. It’s the start of becoming, and leading a life
of Christianity not only in words, but in deeds and spirit as well – a
being in Imago Dei.

After all the many contemplations and realizations, the answer

to the question has now reached me. I guess it was so simple, many
Christians overlooked it. ‘Christians’ should be known for ‘Christ’.
After all, we were shaped in His image – Christ’s image. We ought to
act in such a way that other people will see Christ in each and every
one of us. Every deed and word should signify Him. And through the
sacraments, as the Holy Eucharist, we will personify the life of Jesus
Christ in us. So next time I will be asked, ‘What are Christians known
for?’ I will simply say ‘Christ’.” - Member C

As we reflect upon the significance of the Holy Eucharist, we must not overlook the
fruits of the Holy Eucharist which orients us towards communion with others and allows us to
see in a clearer manner, our brothers and sisters as Imago Dei. Truly, the “Eucharist strengthens
our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial
sins. By giving himself to us, Christ revives our love and enables us to break our disordered
attachments to creatures and root ourselves in him.” 21 We are called to do the apostolate work of
allowing others to be open to His love and salvation, especially those who need it most. The
significance of the Holy Eucharist on the human person being Imago Dei is that we are called to
charity and love to be with our brothers and sisters. This is how we may be able to form

19 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NIV).

20 1 Corinthians 11:25 (NIV).
21 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1394.
ourselves more concretely. We are committed to the poor. 22 Not just those who are financially
poor, but more importantly those who are spiritually poor. We must never fail to recognize that
the marginalized people are also the same as us. We must act in charity towards one another and
render to each the respect and dignity that each of us deserve.

The Eucharist brings us together in Christ and strengthens us to continually be men and
women for others. The sacrifice and love Christ has shown us is something we must follow and
emulate as best as we can towards those who are poor in life and in spirit.

And in this Christmas season, the Church reminds us that the true meaning of the holiday
is the birth of Jesus Christ. And men, being Imago Dei, could celebrate the holiday happily by
seeking God.
“In the crib we contemplate the One
who stripped himself of divine glory
in order to become poor, driven by love for mankind.
Beside the crib the Christmas tree,
with its twinkling lights,
reminds us that with the birth of Jesus,
the tree of life has blossomed anew in the desert of humanity.”23

Christmas has been commercialized and trivialized by the media and tradition. The
religious meaning of sacrifice is slowly getting lost in the daze of giving and receiving gifts,
Santa Claus and Christmas trees. Christmas has now become an expensive holiday. But the true
meaning of Christmas must not be forgotten. It is a celebration of the birth of Christ who by His
sacrifice unites us to God, to whom we are separated through the act of sin.

Man is called to do His work on Earth – to be charitable, to aid fellow men in need, to
provide opportunity to others to feel His love. By taking man's nature into consideration, it is
clear to see that to truly live as God intended man to, man should not only look for salvation for
22 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1397.
23 Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, December 2003, available at http://
www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/urbi/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_20031225_urbi_en. html
(last accessed December 11, 2014)
themselves but for others poor in spirit as well. Spreading God's love is the essence of Imago
Dei, of partaking in the Holy Eucharist and committing to a relationship with God. This is still
true during the Yuletide season.

Through performing the Sacraments of Baptism, the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation,
men, being Imago Dei, can achieve fulfillment in the Christmastime. By experiencing God’s
grace, men can have an alternative Christmas dedicated to forming and strengthening a
relationship with the Lord. By the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and Holy Eucharist,
we realize fully the meaning and joy of the Christmas season.

The main focus should always be and remain to be Jesus Christ and how we are all united
as one in Him. The charity and love He taught us is one which must be our point of reflection
and action especially during this time of the year. As such, we reach out, as He did, to those who
are at the edges and margins of society. We extend our hands and offer ourselves to those who
have been shunned away and neglected. And most importantly, as we reflect upon how the
sacraments and our faith helped shape our lives and aspirations, so shall we allow others to
experience the sacraments concretely and help them to be open to the love of God. We realize
that the grace of God is a call to love. It is with these goals in mind that we chose to celebrate an
alternative Christmas with Virlanie Foundation’s Jade Homes for Special Children.

Virlanie foundation is a private, non-profit organization reaching out to street children in

the Philippines. The foundation cares for those who are in need of special protection, meaning
their broad scope reaches out to most people who are in need of assistance. It is also a unique
institution in that they go out of the norm of providing just a center for these people; they allow
them to experience a home where they can have familial experiences.

Jade Home for Special Children is an institution under the Virlanie Foundation which is
specifically designed for children who are mentally and physically disabled, although they have
built a second Jade Home to accommodate young adults.
 Jade Home’s program involves transforming their beneficiaries (the children and young
adults) as capable individuals who would be capable of having an independent life. Therapies
and interventions are being adopted in order to cure the illnesses that they carry with them. The
current objective of the in-house teachers/ therapists is to equip the beneficiaries with the skills
to properly communicate and express themselves in public. Jade Homes is being supported by
cash and in-kind support from donations, which is then distributed to their daily needs such as
food, clothing, and rent. Their staff currently consists of seven house-parents, a program
coordinator, a social worker, two special-education teachers, an occupational therapist, a cook/
cleaner, and two international volunteers (educators).24

We choose to celebrate God’s love with these children with special needs and the giving
people who take care of them because we are inspired by their determination and drive to be
capable, well-rounded individuals despite their disabilities. We wish to celebrate Christmas by
sharing with them our realizations about God, being Imago Dei and the sacraments and also,
learn from them how to expand our capacity to love.

Even with them being afflicted with special disabilities, the children of Virlanie
Foundation should still have the opportunity to feel God’s grace and love for them. They are also
Imago Dei, sent by the Lord to become blessings to others and to expand the capacity of others
to be patient, to be kind and to be loving.

Oftentimes, in today’s society, people with special disabilities come with stigmas. They
are teased for their differences and their perceived shortcomings. We want to show these
children that with God’s grace and love, they can overcome that stigma. They are also beautiful
creations of the Lord, and they also need His guidance, love and salvation.

Like the Church, we believe that the sacraments of baptism, penance and the Holy
Eucharist should be open to all. And so, we decided to take an active role in the formation of the
Christian life of these children by celebrating the Christmas season with them primarily by

24 Virlanie Foundation, Homes for Special Children - Cluster #3, available at http://www.virlanie.org/what-
we-do/program.aspx?id=7iEQ14H%2B7mw1a%2FCRFvYGEZ%2BuHxxv6TvPTqURLnlXQRE%3D (last
accessed December 11, 2014).
conducting basic catechism, highlighting the importance of the sacraments in our Christian life.
We believe that this will greatly help in assisting the children as they progress toward their life
with Christ. The activity will be done over the period of the Christmas break.

In addition to the catechism, we shall also hold a simple Christmas party for them in the
spirit of charity and love. To cap it off, we shall end the activity by celebrating mass with them.
This not only allows us to pray for each other as we end the day, but also to put into the practice
the basic lessons in catechism that we would have imparted to them during the early part of the
activity.

AM†DG
 Action Plan for Virlanie Foundation’s Jade House

Action Description Purpose

A basic workshop on prayer and This is to aid the early formation
the seven sacraments. Different of the Christian life of the
exercises will be conducted to children. In addition, this will also
Catechism Workshop
facilitate the activity. be an avenue to support a strong
relationship between the children
and God.
Mass A mass will be conducted by a This is to synthesize the activities
resident parish/ invited priest for of the day through celebration of
- First and Second
the children. the mass. This will also serve as a
Reading
concrete avenue for the children
- Responsorial Psalm to experience the lessons we shall
teach them.
- Mass Offerings
A Christmas party will be held in This is meant as a simple
accordance with the learning gathering to commemorate the
Christmas Party
activity and to celebrate the day
blessings received.
Students would have opportunities This will be a chance for everyone
to interact and get to know the to share their experiences of God's
children and learn more about grace. This activity may also
Interaction with the them. Also, this will be a time for facilitate realizations as we learn
children/ Group everyone to reflect on God's grace from what the other has gone
Reflection and goodness. through. This is a sharing of our
spiritual journey so that we may
all encourage each other to live
according to God's Will.
The students will give a Bible to Learning about God's love and
the Foundation's director. The grace should be continuous and
Bible may be the version that's sustainable. By this gift, we hope
Christmas Gift
published primarily for child that the children would continue
audiences. to learn and read God's Word.